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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Waples (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Waples. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals and doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Waples is located in Sussex County.

To see how the shape of Delaware's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Sussex County: Kent, Caroline (MD), Dorchester (MD), Wicomico (MD), Worcester (MD) & Cape May (NJ).

Below are the counties that are near Waples. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Waples:

  • Sussex County     (The home county of Waples)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waples, with the one closest to Waples listed first.
    • Jefferson Crossroads
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • East Side Village
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for East Side Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for East Side Village
      • East Side Village is located in Sussex County
    • Milton
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milton
      • Milton is located in Sussex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,129 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milton <2>
    • Anderson Crossroads
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Argo Corners
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Slaughter Beach
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Harbeson
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harbeson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harbeson
      • Harbeson is located in Sussex County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harbeson <2>
    • Cool Spring
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cool Spring. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cool Spring
      • Cool Spring is located in Sussex County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cool Spring
      • From Waples to Cool Spring
    • Ellendale
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ellendale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellendale
      • Ellendale is located in Sussex County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 448 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ellendale <2>
    • Lincoln Village
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lincoln Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Village
      • Lincoln Village is located in Sussex County
    • Lincoln
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Nassau
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Kent County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waples, with the one closest to Waples listed first.
    • Milford
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milford
      • Milford is located in Kent County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,278 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milford <2>
    • Woods Haven
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Church Hill Village
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Church Hill Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Church Hill Village
      • Church Hill Village is located in Kent County
    • Williamsville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Houston
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Farmington
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
    • Frederica
      (15 miles [24.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Harrington
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Bowers
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bowers have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowers
      • Bowers is located in Kent County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 380 people
    • Riverview
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Riverview have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverview
      • Riverview is located in Kent County
    • Andrewsville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Felton
      (19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
  • Caroline County (MD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waples, with the one closest to Waples listed first.
    • Hickman
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the west)
    • Whiteleysburg
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the west)
    • Federalsburg
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Oil City
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
    • Denton
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Denton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denton
      • Denton is located in Caroline County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,538 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Denton <2>
    • Greensboro
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Goldsboro
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Maple Village
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maple Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Village
      • Maple Village is located in Caroline County (MD)
    • Henderson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Henderson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Henderson
      • Henderson is located in Caroline County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Henderson <2>
    • Hynson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Dorchester County (MD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waples, with the one closest to Waples listed first.
    • Reliance
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Galestown
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Galestown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Galestown
      • Galestown is located in Dorchester County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 135 people
    • Eldorado
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eldorado have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldorado
      • Eldorado is located in Dorchester County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 57 people
    • Williamsburg
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Williamsburg. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williamsburg
      • Williamsburg is located in Dorchester County (MD)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Williamsburg
      • From Waples to Williamsburg
  • Wicomico County (MD)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waples, with the one closest to Waples listed first.
    • New Hope
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Pittsville
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pittsville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pittsville
      • Pittsville is located in Wicomico County (MD)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,476 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pittsville <2>
    • Willards
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the south)
    • Delmar
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Sharptown
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
  • Worcester County (MD)
  • Cape May County (NJ)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waples, with the one closest to Waples listed first.
    • North Cape May
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Cape May have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Cape May
      • North Cape May is located in Cape May County (NJ)
    • Cape May
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
    • Cold Spring
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cold Spring. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cold Spring
      • Cold Spring is located in Cape May County (NJ)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cold Spring
      • From Waples to Cold Spring
    • Erma
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Erma have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Erma
      • Erma is located in Cape May County (NJ)
    • Villas
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Villas have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Villas
      • Villas is located in Cape May County (NJ)
    • Norburys Landing
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Diamond Beach
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Diamond Beach have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diamond Beach
      • Diamond Beach is located in Cape May County (NJ)
    • Green Creek
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Rio Grande
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Wildwood
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wildwood have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood
      • Wildwood is located in Cape May County (NJ)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,916 people
    • Grassy Sound
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grassy Sound have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grassy Sound
      • Grassy Sound is located in Cape May County (NJ)
    • Anglesea
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northeast)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Waples, see our County-by-County Page for Waples.

Cemeteries Near Waples ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Waples.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Waples covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Waples, with the one closest to Waples listed first.

  • Hazzard Cemetery
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hazzard Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hazzard Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bethel Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bethel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bethel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Betts Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Betts Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Betts Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Zion Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Davis Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Davis Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Davis Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Ponder Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Ponder Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Ponder Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Henlopen Memorial Park
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Henlopen Memorial Park
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Henlopen Memorial Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Slaughter Neck Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Hickory Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hickory Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hickory Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Old Hickory Cemetery
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
  • Weigands Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Weigands Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Weigands Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Siloam AME Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Continue List   (144 more) ...
    • New Market Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the New Market Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the New Market Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Holland Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Holland Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Holland Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Whites Chapel Cemetery
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Whites Chapel Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Whites Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<6>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that in 1895, Waples had a post office and no railroad service.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Waples, with the one closest to Waples listed first.

  • Milton
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milton
    • Milton is located in Sussex County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,129 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milton <2>
  • Drawbridge
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Drawbridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Drawbridge
    • Drawbridge is located in Sussex County
  • Harbeson
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Harbeson have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harbeson
    • Harbeson is located in Sussex County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Harbeson <2>
  • Cool Spring
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cool Spring. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<3>
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cool Spring
    • Cool Spring is located in Sussex County
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Cool Spring
    • From Waples to Cool Spring
  • Ellendale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ellendale have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ellendale
    • Ellendale is located in Sussex County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 448 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ellendale <2>
  • Robbins
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Robbins have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Robbins
    • Robbins is located in Sussex County
  • Bennum
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bennum have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bennum
    • Bennum is located in Sussex County
  • Lincoln
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
  • Redden
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Redden have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Redden
    • Redden is located in Sussex County
  • Nassau
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
  • Milford
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Milford have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Milford
    • Milford is located in Kent County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 12,278 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Milford <2>
  • Lewes
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lewes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewes
    • Lewes is located in Sussex County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,417 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lewes <2>
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Georgetown
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Hollyville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Midway
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Midway have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Midway
      • Midway is located in Sussex County

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Waples. See our List of 1890's Communities around Waples.

Newspapers Published in Waples ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 22 newspapers that have been published in the area around Waples.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Waples, there are papers which were published within 10 miles [16.1 km]<5>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Waples.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first turn to the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Waples:

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Waples. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Sussex County: www.sussexcounty.net/

The official website for State of Delaware: https://delaware.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<4>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Waples) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Waples. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.8216, Longitude: -75.3066       In this case, the coordinates for Waples have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Waples, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 28 Apr 2025